This invention relates to a bleaching detergent formulation.
Oxygen bleaches such as hydrogen peroxide and inorganic peroxides have been used in laundry to remove stains or yellowing from clothes. Use of bleach catalysts has also been attempted for enhancement of bleaching effect.
Having extremely high bleaching effect, bleach catalysts have recently been under intensive study. JP-A-4-216899 (The term xe2x80x9cJP-Axe2x80x9d as used herein means an xe2x80x9cunexamined published Japanese patent applicationxe2x80x9d) reports the excellent bleaching effect produced by a manganese catalyst, and JP-W-10-513215 (The term xe2x80x9cJP-Wxe2x80x9d as used herein means an xe2x80x9cinternational patent application published in the Japanese national proceedingxe2x80x9d) discloses usefulness of a cobalt catalyst as a bleaching agent for rigid surfaces. However, conventional bleach catalysts often damage laundry, and fabric-friendly bleach formulations have been of keen desire.
For the purpose of reducing fabric damage, JP-A-9-25499 proposes use of a bleach catalyst in conjunction with a clay mineral compound; JP-W-9-511774 suggests a combined use of a free-radical-scavenging antioxidant; and JP-W-9-511775 discloses a bleaching detergent composition less causative of textile damage which contains a metal complex catalyst in combination with a specific bleach activator. Any of these techniques is incapable of preventing fabric damage to a satisfactory extent.
JP-W-12-515194 and JP-W-13-503073 disclose that a metal complex having a macrocyclic tetraamide ligand, which ligand is used in the present invention, is useful as a catalyst in bleaching lignin of pulp, suggesting applicability to household bleach. However, sufficient bleaching effect has not been attained with this bleach catalyst when applied to household use. Besides, this bleach catalyst reduces its effect in storage.
An object of the present invention is to provide a bleaching detergent formulation which exhibits a high bleaching effect without damaging clothes and also has high storage stability.
The present invention provides a bleaching detergent formulation comprising (A) particles containing 0.01 to 50% by weight, based on the particles, of (a) a compound represented by formula (I): 
wherein R1 represents a straight-chain alkylene or alkenylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylene or cycloalkenylene group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or a phenylene group; R2, R3 and R4, which may be the same or different, each represent a methylene group, a straight-chain alkylene or alkenylene group having 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkylene group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or a phenylene group; R1, R2, R3 and R4 may each have a substituent(s) selected from an alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, alkoxy or halogenated alkyl group having up to 8 carbon atoms, a cycloalkyl or cycloalkenyl group having 3 to 8 carbon atoms, an aryl group, an aryl group having a straight-chain alkyl group having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, a hydroxyl group, a phenoxy group, a halogen atom, an amino group, a sulfuric acid radical, a sulfo group, a nitro group, and a carboxyl group; M represents a metal selected from transition metals having a I, II, III, IV, V, VI, VII or VIII-valent oxidized state; and X represents a counter ion in equilibrium with the compound""s charges on a stoichiometric basis, and (B) a percarbonate.